Forever 21, Ross Dress for Less and more under fire for underpaid factories

Next time you’re deciding between a $19.99 dress at Ross or a $12.99 dress at Forever 21, know that factory employees sewed that extra button and went over those extra hours just for $4 an hour.

Reports came out on Nov. 16 from the Los Angeles Times that the Labor Department has been investigating Forever 21, Ross Dress for Less and TJ Maxx for underpaying factory workers in Southern California.

While these fast fashion retailers were noticeably targeted, Macy’s and Nordstrom also came under scrutiny.

Cosmopolitan pointed out that although “the Labor Department can only penalize companies that directly employ workers, the retailers themselves, including Macy’s and Nordstrom, avoided any repercussions.”

From April to July, 77 factories came under fire for its labor violations, in which “companies cheated workers out of $1.1 million.”

So, what’s going to happen with these retailers popular with consumers? Labor Department officials are asking the companies to cooperate. For one, pay the contractors more so they can pay their employees legal wages.

When the Times reached out to Ross and Forever 21, both companies agreed to take the dilemmas seriously.